MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez as the new Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Malacañang announced Friday.
Benitez replaced Suharto Mangudadatu, who resigned from his TESDA post effective July 31, to prepare for the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Benitez, representative of the third congressional district of Negros Occidental and chairperson of the Committee on Housing and Urban Development in the House of Representatives, brings with him a wealth of experience in education, development, and public service,” Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Grafil said in a statement.
“His extensive academic background and commitment to sustainable development make him a well-suited head of TESDA,” she added.
Garafil said the Marco administration was “confident in Benitez’s ability to lead TESDA toward achieving its goals of enhancing the technical skills of the Filipino workforce, promoting lifelong learning opportunities, and driving economic growth through education and skills development.”
Meanwhile, Garafil said the Office of the President extended its gratitude to Mangudadatu “for his dedicated service and contributions to TESDA during his tenure.”
Mangudadatu was appointed TESDA chief in June 2023. He is part of the Bangsamoro Grand Coalition, a political party posing to challenge the current BARMM leadership.
Mangudadatu was governor of Sultan Kudarat from 2019 to 2022 before he was succeeded by his son, Gov. Pax Ali Mangudadatu. He was mayor of Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat for two terms from 1998 to 2004.
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